A Million Cups of Coffee
by Four Leafed Clove
Summary: "Coffee?" "Yes please." "Why?" "Because I love it just as much as I love you,"/ Hannah/Neville, for the 'Strong as We Are United' comp on HPFC :D
1. It's Now or Never

Story Title: A Million Cups of Coffee

Chapter Title: It's Now or Never

Length:

Prompt: Coffee, Bookstore

* * *

Hannah Abbott stacked the books carefully. She bit her lip as she heaved another sack onto the bench, where she would sort the books and put them in their correct place.

_I hate this, _she thought. She had been stuck working in the bookstore after the war, and was tiring quickly. She was bored in the shop.

The bell chimed and in walked a man she recognised; he was the Junior Secretary to the Minister for Magic's wife, Neville Longbottom. She sucked in her breath.

"What do you want, Mr Longbottom?" She asked, trying to be polite and trying to hide her blatant disrespect for all the Ministry workers other than the current Aurors. Whilst she respected him she also wanted to be respectful to his wife, "And how is Mrs Longbottom doing? And the baby?" Hannah asked. Neville groaned.  
"We just got the divorce papers filed," Neville mumbled. Hannah's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"What?" Hannah asked, "You… Divorced? What about the baby?" Hannah gaped at him. Neville shrugged uncomfortably.

"It isn't time, Han." He mumbled, using his schoolboy nickname for her, "She's not even sure if it's mine,"  
"What do you mean?" Hannah demanded. She wasn't one for gossip, but _anybody _would want the details of this major break up.

"Turns out she cheated on me with Roger Davies," Neville blushed. Hannah raised her eyebrows.

"Gawd, here I was thinking Fay was something decent," Hannah drawled, "Anyways, why are you here?"  
"T-This is my new job," Neville stuttered, "Can you show me what to do?"

"Sure," Hannah smiled happily, heaving another sack onto the table and shoving it over towards him, her mousy brown hair whipping her freckles. He undid the sack and stared at the books inside it.

"What do I do now?" He asked. Hannah sighed.

"You sort the books into their correct genres then stack them on the shelves," Hannah informed him. Neville nodded.

"What time do we finish?" Neville asked. Hannah shrugged.  
"About three a.m, then we start up again at ten," Hannah told him pulling two biographies out of the sack and dumping them in a pile. Neville watched her with curiosity before pulling out his own. He stacked a couple of copies of Tales of Beedle the Bard in a pile on the corner of the table.

"Not there!" Hannah instructed, "They'll topple over," She grabbed the pile and carefully placed it in the centre of the room. Neville went red.

"Sorry," He mumbled. Hannah rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry about it, it happens all the time, honestly," She grinned. Neville sighed.

"So I'm not the only doosh? That's a relief," Neville grinned.

"I bet it is," Hannah chuckled, "Anyway, let's get to work. We've only got about an hour to go,"  
"Does it ever get boring?" Neville asked. Hannah bit her lip.

"Sometimes. But it's worth the money, because no one else will do it. If you complain, they actually give you a pay rise!" Hannah laughed. Neville's eyes bugged out.

"Seriously?" Neville asked nervously. Hannah shrugged.

"Yeah. It's one of the few perks to this job," Hannah smiled and her freckles flushed nervously.

"Really? Anyways, how is your life going apart from work?" Neville blushed, "I mean, you know mine,"

"Oh, right!" Hannah got up and began to stack some books, "Good. Ernie says he misses me though. He works at the Daily Prophet as a junior editor, remember? I guess it must be boring for him at home, but I do get more income, you know?"

"So, you and Ernie are dating, are you?" Neville bit his lip. Hannah smiled and nodded.

"Oh, yes, but nothing serious like you and Fay were," Hannah pressed her lips together in deep thought.

"Come to think of it, that may have been a bit rushed," Neville admitted, "We were just so young, it was a good idea at the time, and we both needed each other's company, so we got engaged, then..."  
"Then you weren't sexually good enough for her and she ran off with Roger Davies and their unborn child," Hannah finished. Neville went red.  
"When you put it that way, it _does _sound pretty silly," Neville nodded and Hannah laughed.

"Don't worry about it. And let's hurry, because if we finish early we can go!"

* * *

Neville and Hannah finished just before three. Neville sighed.

"Is it like this every night?" He groaned. Hannah rolled her eyes.

"You guessed it. It'll get done faster with two people, though and luckily we don't get much more than this," Hannah nodded glumly.

"That's good. But you should probably install a coffee machine here," Neville added. Hannah frowned.

"Why?" She asked. Neville shrugged.

"Caffeine keeps you awake," Neville informed her. Hannah rolled her eyes.

"I knew that," Hannah said, sticking her chin out, "Or we could just have coffee now,"  
"What do you mean?" Neville asked.

"I'll show you," Hannah grinned. She took his hand but Neville quickly snatched it away.

"We're apparating?" He asked, swallowing hard as nervousness swallowed up his voice. All of the blood drained from his face and Hannah frowned, concerned.

"Is there a problem with that?" She asked. He shook his head.

"It's nothing, really, just a stupid fear-"

"Look," Hannah shouted bossily, "If you're scared, we can just walk. It's really not that far and-"

"Thank you," He blushed. Hannah took a deep breath and gave him one of her friendliest, warmest smiles that she would normally use when addressing a customer.

"It's fine," She assured him. Neville smiled gratefully.

"Not many people would do this for me," He squeaked quietly. Hannah gave him a pitying look.

"But I just did," She smiled. He blushed.

"I know,"  
She wanted to add '_Because I've loved you since Third year' _so desperately.


	2. Dark Shadows

Story Title: A Million Cups of Coffee

Chapter Title: Dark Shadows

Length: 1,055

Prompt: Loss

* * *

Hannah dragged Neville into the small undersized pub. Her hair flicked about lazily in the wind.

"Why is it," Neville asked, "That I have never been here before?"  
"Because," Hannah replied breezily with a smile as she opened the small wooden door, "You've never known where to look, have you?" People of all kinds stared at them as they burst through the door. A woman with shaggy copper hair and horrid platinum blond extensions stood up. Neville eyes widened as she marched up towards them.

"Hannah!" She cried out, running into Hannah. She doubled back over with the girl's weight leaning on her. Sophie, however, didn't seem to notice.

"Sophie, hello," Hannah said politely. Sophie scanned Hannah, and raised an eyebrow at Neville.

"Personally, I thought you and Ernie were going along quite well," Sophie remarked bluntly, shrugging. Neville went red and Hannah shook her head, silently mortified.  
"Neville and I – no – we, I mean – we're just friends," Hannah stammered.  
"Oh, I get it. You're _that_ kind of friends," Sophie smiled. Hannah didn't really think that her slightly insane cousin got it, but smiled and nodded and went along with it.

"Yeah…" Hannah trailed off, "You get it."

"Anyway, what do you sell around here? Food? Water? Beer? _Anything_?" Neville asked. Sophie grinned and rolled her eyes.

"Of course," She laughed, "Just over there, where Anna is. See, the girl in the little white dress with the black hair? That's her," Sophie pointed towards a small girl, most likely just out of Hogwarts, who was playing with her hair, which was black with pink streaks and bright blue beads in it. Neville nodded and rushed over to her, his stomach growling in ravenous hunger. Hannah hung back and decided to keep Sophie talking.

"So…" She asked, "What's new?"  
"Not much, actually," Sophie grinned, "Although the shop is doing better. Much more cute little young boys are coming in,"

"Really?" Hannah smiled, looking over at Neville, who was miming cutting his throat. Anna was lying on the table with her dress off, and trying to woo him by her looks. Neville gave her a worried glance and Hannah nodded, trying to reassure him that her cousin wasn't a murderous killer who worked in prostitution.

"I see you're bi," Sophie shrugged, following Hannah's worried eyeline. Hannah's eyes widened.

"No – I've got to go," Hannah explained, "Bye!" She ran off to Neville and grabbed him. Anna looked disappointed.

"That place shouldn't be called The Monkey's Bar!" Neville cried out as they left, "It should be called The Prostitute's Bar!"

"Shut up!" Hannah snapped, "Those girls happened to be my cousins!"  
"Oh," Neville said, feeling small.

"Yeah. They lost their two younger brothers and both of their parents in the war, so they opened up this place to keep them alive. Then they were tortured and killed by none other than Mrs Bellatrix Le-stupid-strange herself!" Hannah hissed.

"Sorry." Neville mumbled, "Wait…You said they were dead, right?" Neville asked.

"Right," Hannah grumbled, as they made way for a speeding bus.

"Then…How were they there, Han? Were they ghosts?" Neville inquired. Hannah shook him by the shoulders violently.

"They weren't ghosts! That place was the Room of Lost Memories!" Hannah growled menacingly, "That's my lost memory. Them. My family," Hannah wiped tears away from her cheeks.  
"Then why didn't I see my parents?" Neville demanded. Hannah looked wounded and dubious at the same time.

"Honestly?" Hannah asked, her voice wobbling nervously.

"Honestly," Neville said firmly.

"I don't know." Hannah mumbled, "Maybe it's because my memory was stronger. Or maybe because you don't have a proper memory of them."  
"But… I want to have a good memory of them." Neville whimpered. Hannah looked pitying.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you there. I'm really sorry, I am." Hannah told him.

"If you really cared you'd find a way for me to experience what I want in there, not one of your stupid fantasies!" Neville yelled. Then he clapped his hands over his mouth, realising what he'd said.

"I'm sorry!" Hannah screamed, tears rolling down her face, "I am! You just don't want to believe me, do you? It's not my fault you're parents are crazy!" Neville and Hannah instantly froze, realizing what they'd actually said.

"P-Pardon?" Neville asked.

Hannah gave him one last pitiful look, then she apparated.

* * *

"Hannah?" Ernie yawned as his girlfriend appeared next to him, "What are you doing here so late? You promised you'd be here by four! It's four thirty, and I have to go to work in an hour!"  
"I'm sorry, Ern, I really am," Hannah sighed, flopping back on their rather small mouldy yellow couch. Ernie pulled the blankets closer to his knees.

"_You're_ sorry! _I'm_ the one who has to go to work at five in the bloody morning!" Ernie grumbled. Hannah sighed and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'm sorry, Ernie. I had to work overtime," Hannah lied, trying to make her tone sound exhausted and sympathetic, "They're getting new stock for Christmas,"  
"Oh," Ernie flushed, "Sorry, Han, I didn't realize. I guess it's off to bed for you, then. Do you want me to make you a coffee?"  
"I-I'm right," Hannah said quickly. Ernie stared at her.

"Are you sick? You always like some coffee before you go to sleep," Ernie frowned.

"I'm fine, Ernie, I'm just not in the mood," Hannah objected.

"You do look a little pale," Ernie thought, ignoring her objections, "Maybe we should go get you checked up,"

"Ernie, honestly, I'm fine," Hannah hissed.

"Hannah, you aren't. Don't bother lying to me." Ernie said, his tone rock-hard.

"Just forget it." Hannah snapped. Tears streaked down her face and she ran as fast as she could make her sore, abused legs go. She threw herself onto her bed, not even bothering to take off her trainers or brush her hair, and rolled over.

"Why is my life so hard?" She mumbled into her pillow rhetorically.

But the pillow, she knew, would never have the answer.


End file.
